Steelers vs. Titans Free Pick
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans will renew their rivalry this Sunday when the two bash heads in Nashville at 1:00PM ET.
Oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL.com have made the Titans 5-point favorites over the Steelers in Week 2. The over/under total for this game has been set at 37 points.
The Steelers Win If:
The defense plays as inspired as they did last Sunday in a win over the Falcons. The Steelers held the Falcons to only 18 first downs last week and limited them to only 58 yards rushing. They also forced a turnover and didn’t allow Atlanta to get into the red zone more than once the entire game. Having Troy Polamalu back patrolling the middle of the field was huge, as he came up with a big interception that almost won it for the Steelers in the end. (Jeff Reed missed a field goal shortly after Polamalu’s interception late in the fourth quarter.) With Dennis Dixon expected to get his second start of the year, the Steelers will have to win this game on the backs of their defense. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt if Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 120 yards again too.
The Titans Win If:
They convert opportunities when they move the ball. The Falcons had a fair amount of success moving the ball against the Steelers, but only came away with nine points. They also missed a field goal in the first half, so they obviously had four opportunities to put points on the board and were held to only 9. The combination of Vince Young and Chris Johnson were outstanding for Tennessee last week, as VY threw for 154 yards on 13-of-17 passing and two touchdowns and CJ rushed for 142 yards and two scores. If the Titans can move the chains as well as they did last week, they’re going to be in good shape to beat a limited Pittsburgh team. However, if they’re going to cover then they’re going to have to put the ball in the end zone…
Prediction:
…which is something I think they’re going to have a tough time doing. Pittsburgh’s defense took a lot of pride in the fact that they needed to win that game against Atlanta because Dixon started. If they take that same mental approach this week, then this is going to be a tight game and taking Pittsburgh with the points seems to be the best play. The last time these two teams met, the Steelers beat the Titans 13-10 in the 2009 opener. I could see this game playing out the same way.
2010 NFL Week 2 Free Pick: PITTSBURGH STEELERS +5
BONUS PICK: UNDER 37